Man Utd news: Secret talks over £100m transfer emerge as Marcus Rashford put straight

The latest news from Manchester United ahead of their crunch Premier League clash against old rivals Liverpool

Manchester United return to Premier League action this weekend with a trip to arch rivals Liverpool. Despite their current mid-table status, Ruben Amorim's side head into the match in better form than their opponents.

The Red Devils won their last game before the international break – a 2-0 victory over Sunderland – and also overcame Chelsea two weeks prior. Sandwiched in between those results was a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Brentford.

Liverpool, on the other hand, have lost three in a row under Arne Slot and will be hoping to relight the fire on their Premier League title charge at Anfield. Before the two famous old clubs do battle on Sunday, there's been plenty going on at Old Trafford, including Bryan Mbeumo's reported attempts to encourage an international team-mate to join United, plus Wayne Rooney's firm response to recent comments made by Marcus Rashford.

Here, Mirror Football takes a look at the latest goings on with the Red Devils, starting with Rooney and Rashford.

Wayne Rooney responds

Rashford's exit from United has been well-documented after publicly falling out of favour with Ruben Amorim. The 27-year-old spoke earlier this week about how being in an "inconsistent environment for a very long time" at Old Trafford contributed towards his disappointing performances on the pitch.

But Rooney, who played alongside Rashford at United, isn't having any of it. He hit back at the Barcelona star's comments on his own Wayne Rooney Show, saying: "I think the environment hasn't been right but that is down to yourself.

"If you are not playing well or you get left out of the team then I think it is easier to blame the environment and whether that is right or wrong. I think that comes from how you apply yourself.

"In games we have seen with him where we know he can do more, we know he can run more - that is nothing to do with an environment. I might be wrong here, I really like Marcus as a lad and as a person but I think that is an easy one to throw at people."

Ruben Amorim comments

Sir Jim Ratcliffe provided his unequivocal backing to Amorim earlier this month, stating that the Portuguese needs three years at the helm to prove he is a "great" coach. Despite that show of support, the former Sporting Lisbon boss has appeared on somewhat shaky ground following a difficult start to both his United tenure as a whole – and this season.

Amorim responded to Ratcliffe's comments ahead of the match against Liverpool, showing both an appreciation for his words and a determination to keep driving the club forward in the right direction.

"He [Ratcliffe] tells me all the time, sometimes with a message after the games but you know, I know and Jim knows that football is not like that," Amorim explained. "The most important thing is the next game. You cannot control the next day in football so I know that but it is really good to hear that also because of the noise. Omar and Jason tell me that all the time."

Speaking about the vision for the club, he added: "First of all I can feel it, it is not just that thing that people talk [about]. I feel the support every day. Sometimes the pressure I put on myself and the team is often so much bigger than them. I know it is going to take a while but I don't want to think like that, I said that last year.

"It is really good to hear that, I think it helps our fans understand that the leadership knows it will take a while but, at the same moment, I don't like that because it will give a feeling like we have time to work things out so I don't want that feeling here in our club. It is good to feel the support but we need to show people, at a big club, we are ready to win games."

Bryan Mbeumo's transfer nudge

Footballers trying to convince their international team-mates to join them at a particular club is nothing new. Now it seems Mbeumo is trying to do just that with Brighton & Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba.

United made no secret of their desire to sign Baleba in the summer, although they ultimately couldn't reach a deal with the Seagulls. Brighton chairman Tony Bloom recently confirmed as such, saying: "There was interest from Manchester United, and we said that he wasn't available this summer and they went away. So we've had many bigger sagas in the past."

But, according to The Sun, United could have a trump card in their attempts to sign the £100m-rated Baleba in the future. They claim that Baleba and Mbeumo have been spending more time together on international duty with Cameroon, with the current United forward doing his best to facilitate a move to Old Trafford for the midfielder.

It is claimed that Mbeumo has adopted a 'big brother' role in their relationship and that he has told Baleba all about what it's like to play for a club as big as United. Whether that will have any impact the next time the transfer window opens, remains to be seen.

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